For those TV connoisseurs out there looking to add one more show to their appointment list, make it “30 Rock,” which airs Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. on NBC.

In our current TV climate, the complaint is often heard that there is nothing new or original on TV anymore. With the new season of “30 Rock,” we can’t say that any more.

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Fans of the Minneapolis-based hip-hop group Atmosphere are going to be gathering en mass Monday, Oct. 15 at the Pabst—so to will anybody else who is looking for an amazing show and $20 burning a hole in their pocket.

This will be Atmosphere’s third appearance at the Pabst, and with two previous sold out shows, this show will most likely burst at the seams.

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There are many different varieties of cigarettes: regulars, lights, filtered and various alternative types. With so many kinds to choose from, the question has been raised if there is a certain type of cigarette that is actually “healthier” for you. Everyone knows the risks of smoking regular cigarettes, but is there a cigarette out there that is truly “safer” to smoke?

Alternative cigarettes

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I have to say that I am deeply disappointed in The City Market on Capitol Drive. I have been a big fan of the café for many years. Sitting at a table in front of a big picture window, reading the paper and eating one of the best scones I’ve ever had was a normal 6:30 a.m. routine for me these past few years.

What I experienced in my most recent visits was nothing that I could have expected; I don’t even know where to begin.

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Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett returns to the throne as England’s queen in “Elizabeth: the Golden Age.” However, cheeky humor and a love story fit for high school turn the successor to the Oscar-nominated “Elizabeth” into just another campy chick flick.

The story begins with a quick introduction of the cast of characters. Elizabeth is single and lonely; her evil cousin Mary is trying to take her thrown and Philip of Spain wants to bring Catholicism to Europe in the form of a vast armada. The dashing seafarer, and Elizabethan heartthrob Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen), has also returned from the new land to sweep the queen off her feet.

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In the latest stab at cinematic commentary on the Iraq War, “In the Valley of Elah” (2007) asks the viewer to take a closer look at the rhyme and reason behind American soldiers’ conduct, both at home and abroad.

Written and directed by Paul Haggis, also responsible for the Academy Award-winning, albeit highly debated “Crash” (2004), “In the Valley of Elah” is decidedly less hopeful than Haggis’ former film both in message and craft.

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We all know Sean Penn can act. From Jeff Spicolli in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" to Jimmy in "Mystic River,” there is ample proof, in addition to his Oscar, that he knows what he is doing on-screen. But his vision behind the camera is just as good, if not better. ’Into the Wild,’ screen-written and directed by Sean Penn, is based on the book by Jon Krakauer. It tells the true story of Christopher Johnson McCandless, played by Emile Hirsch, and his “great Alaskan adventure.”

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In the spirit of the damned and the dead, we are looking at two icons of All Hallows Eve: vampires and werewolves. Which one is truly the king of Halloween?

When just talking about origins of these two legends, it’s easy to cite the Wolfman and Dracula. It all starts with Dracula and ends with Dracula in most cases.

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Fashion is never stagnant. It is difficult to keep up with current trends, as they change from season to season. Just as soon as designers present their spring/summer collections, they have to think about how to be new and revolutionary for the next fall/winter season.

As an employee of a local boutique, I hear on a nearly daily basis from women over 30, “I remember wearing this when I was (insert age here).”

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Several songs into the concert Jeff Tweedy already knew something was different. It may have been the receptive, and for the most part respectful, audience. It could have been the response Tweedy and company were getting to a set that consisted of deeper Wilco songs, or it may have just been the smile on his band mates faces.

Whatever it was, there was clearly something in the air last Tuesday night at the Eagles Ballroom where Wilco played their first show on the current leg of their “Sky Blue Sky” Tour, in support of their most recent record with the same name.

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Developer Valve’s, most notable for Half-Life 2 and Counter Strike, newly-released “Portal” is an interesting puzzle game.

The objective of the game is relatively straightforward: Get from point A to B. Set in the Aperture Center, the player is a newly awakened test subject.

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“Time, space and movement are the basic elements of dance. You have to have one in order to have the other,” said Reggie Wilson, the current artist-in resident for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee dance program.

“Time is always there. You can’t get away from it. Some people try, but it doesn’t work,” he continued, speaking to a Creative Movement class.

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Austin Texas natives Spoon made their triumphant return to Milwaukee on Oct. 8. Having previously played in front of an amazing crowd at this year’s Summerfest, the band came back to the city for the start of their new tour. This time, the venue was the Pabst Theater.

The night opened up with a short set from The Ponys. The Chicago-area band seemed to be very uncomfortable while on stage. Most of the band spent the time facing away from the audience and seemed as if they just wanted to get the set over with. To make matters worse, technical difficulties made the lead singer’s voice nearly inaudible.

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Each fall, the major four networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX) try to win viewers over with their new pilots. The pilots that make it to TV represent the months work of many producers and executives trying to anticipate trends (i.e. the primetime soap opera, the one-camera sitcom), while avoiding pitfall timeslots to produce shows that will catapult a network to TV rating stardom.

It is inevitable that some shows will slip through the cracks, whether it because of an ill-guided executive or a high-powered producer or guest star. These shows become mockeries of their respective networks.

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